Just about two weeks ago Vibe Magazine published an article titled: "The Mean Girls of Morehouse" {Get the Story Here:http://bit.ly/9DpzUF} This story had the internet buzzing after it was released. People could not understand how men attending Morehouse College could be so feminine. The men interviewed told of a different type of Morehouse man. A Morehouse man that wore make-up, the most fashionable clothes, and some even wore heels on occasion. One of the men really stuck out to me. Phillip Hudson, a 6"4 21 year old with big hair. His story, unlike the others, was one of depression, loneliness, and the need to have his father's approval. I wanted to know more about this young man. After speaking with Phillip I now understand the pain this young man has gone through. Phillip Hudson went into detail with me about his family, career, and some events from his childhood. He also told me about the many opportunities that have come his way since the article was released. He has been speaking with students at high schools and at funerals for children who have committed suicide due to bullying. This young man has so much to be thankful for. MelBarchie.com would like to thank Phillip for sitting down with us. Enjoy the interview.
MB: Who is Phillip Hudson:
Phillip: Phillip Hudson is, whew, I’m a character. I’m a very strong willed character fighting for what’s right. I’m still fighting for what’s right within my family, but a lot of people can relate to, or characterize themselves with what I’ve been through. I’m outspoken, loves living life, and I’m a fighter.
MB: Would you refer to yourself as a gay/bisexual man?
Phillip: I refer to myself as an androgynous male(An androgyne in terms of gender identity, is a person who does not fit cleanly into the typical masculine and feminine gender roles of their society) That’s what I refer to myself as. I don’t conform to sexual identity because when I introduce myself I don’t say “Hey my name is homosexual, Hey my name is gay, or Hey my name is bisexual.” I say “Hi my name is Phillip Hudson, what’s your name?” Conforming to sexual identity is where society get things so confused. The word gay means happy so if you want to call me gay then fine call me gay. I’m very happy. It’s not what people call you, it’s what you answer to.
MB: What made you want to attend Morehouse
Phillip :(Sighs) For some reason I’ve always had a dream about Morehouse. There have been all these negative responses about why I wanted to go there, and that I chose to go there because of all the men. No, no, no, no. I thought Morehouse would be the place where I would go to acquire or attain a brotherhood that would teach me how to be a man. Or even teach me how to act like a man. I didn’t have my father to teach me these things. Growing up, I didn’t have any male figures in my life. I had my mother, so I learned to do things like a woman. I thought Morehouse would be the place where I would meet new people who could help me with the way I acted and dressed.
MB: After you got to Morehouse and you began interacting with the other students did you feel like you had made the wrong decision?
Phillip: Umm, no. Well yes and no. I say yes because I didn’t have the support of my family like I should have had going to a historically black college. I’m there seeing all of these parents coming to support their child during student/parent orientation and I didn’t have that. My mother came but she had to leave early. I was more so expecting my brothers to come and just be supportive and it wasn’t like that. It was kind of depressing to see everyone with their parents and I was just there by myself. The first week I was there I was called a faggot. Guys were screaming faggot, I need to go back where I cam from, and all this other stuff. I had to put it in my head that I cam here for an education and that’s what I’m going to do. So yes and no. But it wasn’t for people bashing me.
MB: You are not a member of the “Plastics” but you are very close to them, did your relationship with them make your stay at Morehouse any better?
Phillip: Yes. They were the first group of openly gay students to approach me. I remember when I first met Michael, I saw him in the bathroom with Diamond and , I’m tall 6”4, and they were just so shocked to see me. They were like oh my God you’re so tall, and so big, and so fashionable. We became really close so people started associating me with them. People gave me the name quote en quote “Amazon” because I’m so tall. People would even call me the security guard for the Plastics because I would be the person to go up to the guy that called me a faggot from far away. Do you mind repeating yourself?
MB: That’s that Nene in you coming out LOL
Phillip: Not even Nene I was just trying to educate them. Do you know what the words faggot means? People call me Nene now because it gets to the point where I’m going to be in your face confronting you. The Plastics were a really good group of friends who just didn’t care what people thought about them. They were there to tell me not to worry about what people thought about me and to just be myself.
MB: After two years of attending Morehouse what was the breaking point for you?
Phillip:It was just to a point where I just felt lonely up there. I went home one time and that was for my uncle’s funeral and I just felt alienated by my father and his side of the family. At one point my aunt went to my father and asked him if he would congratulate me on completing a semester at Morehouse and that turned into an argument outside the church. So it was more so me trying to be closer to my mother. I got so lonely up there and when I’m alone that’s when the suicidal thoughts come.
About two weeks after my birthday I tried to commit suicide. I drank a half of bottle of Ever Clear vodka. The article says that I was thinking about it but I actually got in my car and tried to find a cliff to go over. My car actually ended up on a median and I passed out. I didn’t tell anyone about that until the article. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was so lonely there.
MB: Ok let’s fast forward, the Vibe story has been published and has the internet going crazy. What is going on in the world of Phillip Hudson?
Phillip:I’m in school and working. I’m a crisis management publicist so that’s what I’m doing a lot of. I work with a couple of celebrities and that takes up a lot of my time. I have been speaking at funerals and schools about bullying and what it does to people.
MB: When I read your part of the story I couldn’t help but notice how much you wanted to change for the sake of your father, now that the story is everywhere has it helped or hurt that relationship?
Phillip: I haven’t spoken to my father in about 2 ½ or 3 years. We have never had a strong relationship at all. It’s always been a hate/hate relationship with us. I think he’s the way he is because of the way people will view him in the church. My father is just a really homophobic individual. My dad just doesn’t like me.
MB: A lot of the comments on Vibe were appalling, is it hard dealing with the negative tweets, comments, and stories about you and the Plastics?
Phillip: No it’s not hard. Why hide behind the internet. I publicly gave my number out on Vibe. Someone kept making comments so I gave my number out and said please call me so we can meet face to face. I don’t believe in hiding behind the internet when it comes to something you feel so strongly about. If you’re that adamant about something then let’s meet face to face and have a grown-up conversation. I don’t have the time to read all the comments, especially negative comments about an article that’s not even elaborated on. Aaliyah wrote the article to bring awareness to what was going on in the Morehouse Community.
MB: So you are at a new school studying Fashion right?
Phillip: Yes I am at The University of South Florida in Tampa Bay Florida. I’m studying Mass Communications with a double concentration in Media and Fashion Arts Entertainment with a double minor is Marketing and Business Management.
MB: And if they can’t shut up after that I don’t know what to tell them! Are you more comfortable at this school?
Phillip: I was comfortable at Morehouse. I’m 6”4 so people stare at me at USF but the difference between USF and Morehouse is that people are not gathering. There are thousands of people at that school so people don’t have time to pick at what people have on. They stop, they look, and they keep it moving.
MB: Looking at your picture I can’t help but think you would make a great bff! Do you have a lot of female friends who look to you for fashion advice?
Phillip: (Laughs) I have female friends that call me and actually look to me for boyfriend advice. They come to me for fashion advice to but more so relationship advice.
MB: My last question, would you change anything from Morehouse to the Vibe story? Why? Why Not
Phillip: Umm I wouldn’t change anything because I feel like it was something that needed to be said. Before this article I was advocating to stop the bullying and suicides of people in the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender community. My therapy comes from helping others. I may have changed the way some things were worded. I applaud Aaliyah because she did a good job of editing the interview. I would have probably been more provocative than she was. But there have been so many positive responses from the article though. I’ve gotten so many positive facebook and twitter messages to the calls and people reaching out to me.
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